Demigods Read The Son of Magic
by PJObooks
Summary: Demigods from camp find themselves in a field with a book. They read it to find out about the current monster problem and the life of an enemy demigod. Who will join them? Set in April after the Titan War, Percy has been missing for about 5 months, Alabaster's been on the run for about 8 months. Unrelated to my other story. I do not own. Rick and Haley Riordan do.
1. Chapter 1

Third Person POV

Annabeth was having a (fairly) normal day. She was walking to her next activity when some fog appeared. She thought nothing of it and kept walking. The fog kept getting thicker and thicker until it looked like wall.

Annabeth stopped where she was and looked around. The fog completely surrounded her and she could only see the grass and some blue of the sky above her. She picked up a rock and threw it, but she didn't hear it land.

She pulled out her dagger and walked toward the fog.

The fog was like a wall, except she could walk through it. It was so thi I she couldn't see her own hands.

The fog suddenly stopped and she found herself in a pretty meadow with a picnic basket and blankets spread out in the middle.

The fog was still there in a perfect circle that surrounded the meadow. Then some more people stumbled out of the fog.

Katie, Travis, Conner, Clarisse, Lou Ellen, and even Nico and Thalia had experienced the same thing.

"Hey guys!" Annabeth called out from the middle. "Does anyone know what we're doing here?"

The others headed towards where she was and sat down on the blankets.

"Well,"Travis started, "We're in a field."

Katie groaned and muttered, "Thank you Captain Obvious."

"You're very welcome, Ms. Gardner." Travis said smiling and sat down next to her. All he got back was a smack in the back of the head.

"But really, why are we here?" Annabeth asked again.

"Maybe there's something in the basket?" Thalia suggested. Annabeth opened the basket and found a note inside. She read it out loud.

"Dear demigods,

You all will be reading a story about someone who has chosen a different path. The story will have information about the current monster problems and some more. They will eventually join you but you'll have to read first. To get the book (and other supplies) just close the lid of the picnic basket and open it again and it will have what you're looking for.

Enjoy!"

"Fabulous," Conner whispered to Travis, "We've got a magical picnic basket in who knows where."

"So we're reading a book? That's it?" Nico asked.

"Sounds like it," Annabeth said. They all sat down and closed and opened the basket for the book. Annabeth reached in and pulled it out. "Son of Magic" she said.

Lou Ellen did a mental gasp. She had a feeling it was about a son of Hecate, but she didn't know which.

**A/N: So hi! This is just the prologue and I've decided to make it a multi-chapter story so it's easier to write and get things done faster. The breaks will probably be line breaks or where I think is a good stopping point. Hope you enjoy! PS I might not have the next chapter up that quickly, sorry!**


	2. Chapter 2

"**Normally I invite people to ask me questions when I'm finished, but this time I have one I'd like to ask you all instead." He took a step back, trying to make eye contact with each and every one of the thousand of audience members. "When you die, what happens? The question seems sochildish,doesn't it? **

"No it isn't," Nico grumbled, "Everone wonders what will happen to them when they die."

**But do any of you know the answer?"**

**There was silence, just like there was supposed to be. . . .**

**Dr. Claymore didn't expect anyone to answer the question after the speech he'd just given. He didn't think anyone would even see to try.**

**But as always, someone dashed his hopes.**

**This time it was a brown-haired, freckle-faced boy in the front of the auditorium. Claymore recognized him- it was the same kid who had run up to him in the parking lot, telling him what a big fan he was and how he'd read all his books. . . .**

**"Yes?" Dr. Claymore asked him. "You think you know? Then please, we are all ****_dying_**** to hear you."**

****"That's rude." Katie grumbled to no one in particular.

**The boy who had been so energetic before now seemed tongue-tied.**

**Claymore knew it was cruel to make a fool out of this innocent child. But he also knew it was necessary.**

****Katie huffed some more.

**Claymore was just an actor, preforming for his patrons like any good showman would during a magic show. And this boy had just volunteered to be a part of his act.**

**At this point the entire audience was staring at the child. The man sitting next to him- the boy's father, Claymore assumed- shifted uncomfortably in his seat.**

**With so much attention focused on him, Claymore doubted the child would even have the strength to breathe. He looked so frail- skinny and awkward, probably the butt of many a joke at his school.**

**But then the seemingly weak boy did something surprising. He stood up and found his voice.**

**"We don't know," the boy said. His entire body was shaking, but he met Claymore's gaze. "You criticize every single idea people have about the afterlife. After all your research, why are you asking us for an answer? Haven't you found one yourself?"**

Katie was starting to like this kid; he was standing up for himself.

**Claymore didn't respond immediately. Had the boy said "heaven" or "reincarnation" he would've snapped back like a whip, but these comments were different. They mad his act come to a screeching halt. The audience turned their eyes on him with a berating gaze, as if they found it easier to cling to the boy's simplistic words than to Claymore's life's work.**

**But like any good showman, Claymore had a backup plan. He didn't let more than five seconds pass. Any longer, he would have seemed nervous. Any shorter, it would seem like he was lashing out. After the appropriate pause, he gave his rehearsed response.**

**"I'm asking all of you because I am still searching for the answer myself," he said, gripping the podium. "And the most complicated truths sometimes one from the simplest places. When I am on my deathbed, I want to know with unwavering certainty what lies ahead of me. I'm sure each and every one of you feels the same way."**

**The audience applauded. Claymore waited for them to finish.**

**"My new book,****_ Road to Death_****, will be in stores soon," he concluded. "If you want to know more, I'd be honored to have you read it. And now I wish you good night. I hope you find all he answers you seek."**

**A few in the audience gave him a standing ovation. Claymore flashes one last smile before walking offstage. But once he was away from third eyes, he scowled.**

**This is what his life had come to - being paraded around from one event to another like some circus animal. He was a visionary, but at the same time, a joke. Maybe a dozen people in the audience even remotely understood his work. He knows even fewer would accept it.**

**The sheer ignorance of his fans disgusted him.**

**"Mr. Claymore!" his host trotted backstage, and Coaymore bent his frown into a smile. She was the one paying his fee, after all.**

**"You were a hit, Mr. Claymore!" she said, nearly jumping out of her high heels. "We've never had such a crowd!"**

**The woman landed back on her feet, and Claymore was surprised her heels didn't shatter under her weight. That was probably an impolit thought, but this woman almost matched him in height, and Claymore was considered a tall person. The best way to describe her would be as a stereotypical grandmother, the kind who bakes cookies and knits sweaters. She was larger than most grandmas, however. And her enthusiasm was fierce, almost like a hunger. A hunger for what? he wondered. Claymore assumed more cookies.**

The Stolls for some reason,ground this very funny and laughed. Then they reached into the basket and came out with cookies. Thalia rolled her eyes but Katie stole a cookie from Travis.

**"Thank you," he said, gritting his teeth. "But it's ****_Doctor_**** Claymore, actually."**

**"Well, you were amazing she said!" she said, smiling ear to ear. "You're the first author we've sold out for!"**

**Of course I would fill the auditorium in a tiny town like this, Claymore thought. More than one reviewer had called him the greatest mind since Steven Hawking. Even as a child, he'd used his silver tongue to make him seem a little less than a god to his peers and teachers. Now he was looked up to by politicians and scientists alike.**

**"I preach the truth, and people long for the truth about death," he said, quoting his new book.**

****"Probably doesn't know a single thing about death," Nico said angrily. Annabeth and Thalia laughed at his expression. "We all know that's your speciality, Death Breath." Thalia said still laughing a bit.

**The woman seemed a bit stars truck and no doubt would have kept praising him for hours, but she had served her purpose; so Claymore used the opportunity to make his departure. "I need to retire to my home now, Ms. Lamia. Have a good night."**

**With those words, he walked out of the building and into the crisp night air.**

**He would never have agreed to speak in backwater Keeseville, New York, if he didn't own a home there. The massive auditorium stuck out like a sore thumb in this quaint little town where he'd moved to pursue his writing in peace.**

Annabeth had her "thinking face" on. "Wasn't there a fire there?" she asked the group, I think this Claymore guy was one of the victims." You could practically see the gears turning.

"How are we supposed to know? We don't keep track of mortal news like you," Clarisse responded whole the others shrugged.

**With its population barely breaking two thousand, Claymore guessed that the huge crowd tonight must have come from all over the state. He was a special event, a once-in-a-lifetime thing. But for Claymore it was busywork, something his publishers required of him. Just another day at the office.**

**"Dr. Claymore, wait!" a voice called after him, but he ignored it.**

**If it wasn't his sponsor, he didn't have to answer. There was no point. . . the event was over. But then someone grabbed his arm.**

**He turned and glared. It was ****_that_**** boy, the one who had tried to make a fool of him.**

**"Dr. Claymore!" the boy said, panting. "Hold on. I need to ask you something."**

**Claymore opened his mouth to reprimand the child, but then he stopped.**

**The boy's father stood a few feet behind him. At least, Claymore assumed it was the father. They shared the same brown hair and lanky physique.**

**He thought the man should scold his child for being so rude, but the father just stared blankly at Claymore.**

**"Why, yes, hello," Claymore said, forcing a smile toward the dad. "Is this your son?"**

**"He just has a quick question for you " the dad said absentmindedly.**

Annabrth was trying to put the pieces together. The odd behavior and why they were being mentioned in detail must be important somehow, were some if her thoughts.

**Claymore reluctantly turned his gaze to the boy, who, unlike his father, had eyes burning with fiery determination.**

**"I suppose this is my fault " Claymore said as civilly as possible. "I should have allowed you more time to talk at the end of my speech."**

**"It's something important," the boy said. "So please take this seriously even if it sound weird, okay?"**

**Claymore resisted the urge to walk away. He disliked indulging people, but his public face was more important to his book sales. He couldn't have this boy's idiot father telling the world that they had been cruelly ignored.**

**"Ask away," Claymore said. "I'm all ears."**

**The boy straightened. Despite being as thin as a twig, he stood nearly as tall as Claymore.**

**"What happens if someone finds a way to stop death?"**

The demigods were quiet. Sure people tried all the time but why was some kid thinking about that?

**Claymore could feel his blood chill from the change in the boy's voice. It wasnt nervous anymore. It was heavy and cold as stone.**

**"That would be impossible," Claymore said. "All living things decay over time. There is a certain point at which we become unable to function. That is -"**

**"You didn't answer the question," the boy interrupted. "Please give me your honest opinion."**

**"I dont have one," Claymore retorted. "I'm not a fiction writer. I don't indulge myself in impossibilities."**

**The boy frowned. "That's too bad. Dad,the paper?"**

**The man pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Claymore.**

**"It's our contact information," the boy said. "If you figure it out, call me, okay?"**

**Claymore stared at him, trying not to let his confusion show. "You do understand me, don't you? I can't answer your question ."**

**The boy looked at him with solemn eyes. "Please try, Dr. Claymore. Because if you don't, I'm going to die."**

The demigods went silent with shock. This kid was either crazy or special somehow. If he was like them why would he tall about hisproblems with a mortal?

"Boy, this kid's a drama queen!" Conner said with a weak smile trying to relieve some tension.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own, Rick and Haley Riordan do. **

Annabeth started to read again.

**On the drive home Claymore kept glancing in his nearview. Really, he was pathetic. The boy had just been trying to unnerve him. He couldn't let himself get upset over something like that.**

**By the time he reached his driveway, he felt like he had gotten over it. But he still found himself setting his house alarm.**

"So paranoid."

**Claymore lives alone in his personally designed house. Among his many talents he was an architect,**

"Look Annabeth! We've found another one of your kind!"

Annabeth just rolled her eyes. "Katie would you do the honors?"

"My pleasure," and she elbowed Travis.

**and he wanted his house to mirror himself in every aspect. Impressively modern with clean lines, it wasset well back from the road. Its security cameras and barred windows protected his privacy, but inside, the rooms were simply furnished, quiet, and comfortable.**

**No wife, no kids-there was no one in the house to disturb him. Not even a cat. Especially not a cat.**

**It was his oasis and his alone. Being here always calmed his frayed nerves.**

**Yes, his beautiful house did help him get his mind off the boy.**

Conner had an idea, "From now on, I'm going to count how many times his arrogance shows."

**But it wasn't long before he found himself sitting at his desk, reading the card the father had given him.**

** ALABASTER C. TORRINGTON**

** 273 MORROW LANE**

** 518-555-9530**

Travis reached into the picnic basket and pulled out a cell phone. "Annabeth can you repeat that number?" Annabeth looked at him skeptically, "But it could attract mon-" Travis interrupted her, "We're in a magical field. I don't think any monsters will show up. Could you please repeat the number?" Annaneth paused a moment but told him the number. As soon as the phone started to ring, a kid stumbled out of the fog.

"Who are you people?" He demanded. "Where am I?" he asked staring at them. He was obviously a half-blood otherwise why would he be here?

Travis grinned, "Well, we're in a field." Katie rolled her eyes and mumbled, "Why do I even bother?".

He looked like the description in the book, except he had what looked like a bullet proof vest on. Something clicked in Annabeth's mind.

"You're Alabaster!" He stared at her like she was a creepy stalker. "How do you know my name?"

"I think we're reading a book about you." Everyone stared at her.

He cautiously walked over and sat down on a blanket (next to Lou Ellen) and they summed up what had happened so far.

**The 518 area code meant that they might live in Keeseville. And Claymore recalled a Morrow Lane about halfway across town. Was Alabaster Torrington the boy, or the father? Alabaster was a rather old-fashioned name. You didn't hear it often, because most parents had a sense not to name their children after rocks.**

"Hey!" said boy exclaimed.

**Claymore shook his head. He should throw away the card and forget it. Scenes from Stephen King's Misery were stuck in his head. But that's what the alarm system is for, he told himself; to keep the creepy fans away. If his door got so much as a knock in the middle of the night, the police would be dispatched immediately.**

**"**Why does one guy need such high security?", Conner mused.

**And Claymore was not defenseless. He had a respectable collection of firearms hidden in various places around the house. One couldn't be too careful.**

**He sighed, throwing the piece of paper on the table with the rest of his scraps. It wasn't unusual for him to encounter strange people at events.**

Alabaster frowned. He wasn't strange.

**After all, for every semi-intelligent person who bought his books, there were at least three others who picked them up because they thought they were dieting guides.**

**All that mattered was the fact that Claymore wasnt alone in a dark alley with those people. He was safe, he was home, and there was no better place to be.**

**He smiled to himself, leaning back in his work chair. "Yes, that's right, nothing to worry about," he told himself. "Just another day at the office."**

**That's when the phone rang, and Claymore's smile melted.**

**What could anyone want at this hour? It was nearly eleven. Anyone sensible was either asleep or curled up with a good book.**

**He thought about not answering, but the phone didn't stop ringing- which was very strange, considering that his voicemail usually picked up after the fourth ring. Eventually curiosity won him over.**

**He stood and walked into his great room. For simplicity's sake, he only kept one landline in the house. The caller ID read Marian Lamia,518-555-4164.**

Alabaster shifted uneasily and everyone stared at him. "Do you know her?" Clarisse paused then answered, "We have some bad history that will probably be explained later."The campers weren't completely satisfied with the answer but accepted it.

**Lamia . . . That was the woman who booked the event.**

**Be frowned and reluctantly picked up the receiver as he say down on his couch.**

**"Yes,hello, Claymore speaking." He did not attempt to mask the annoyance in his voice. This was his home, and forcing him to answer a phone call was no better than intruding in person. He hoped Lamia had a good reason.**

**"Mr. Claymore!" She said his name like hedge was announcing he'd won the lottery. "Hello, hello, hello! How are you doing?"**

"**Do you realize what hour it is, Ms. Lamia?" Claymore asked in the most severe voice he could muster. "Do you have something important to tell me?"**

**"Yes, I do! In fact, I wanted to talk to you about it immediately!"**

**He sighed. This person made him go from mildly annoyed to just plain infuriated in a grand total of thirty seconds.**

**"Well, then, don't exclaim pointlessly," he snarled. "Spit it out! I'm a busy man and do not take kindly to being disturbed."**

**The line went silent. Claymore was half convinced he'd scared her off. But finally she continued in a much colder voice.**

Alabaster shifted again.

"**Very well, Mr. Claymore. We don't have to go through the pleasantries, I'd that's what you wish."**

**He nearly laughed. It sounded the woman was outright trying to be intimidating.**

**"Thank you," Claymore said. "What exactly do you want?"**

**"You met a child tonight, and he gave you something," Lamia said. "I want you to hand that over to me."**

**"**Can you spell 'stalker'?" Travis joked and earned a few laughs. Annabeth was looking over at Alabaster.

**He frowned. How did she know about the boy? Was she watching him?**

**"I dont appreciate your following me, but I guess at this point that hardly matters. All the child gave me was a piece of paper with his address on it. I wouldn't feel comfortable giving it to you, someone I met only yesterday."**

**There was another pause. Just as Claymore was about to put down the phone, the woman asked, "Do you believe in God, Mr. Claymore?"**

**He rolled his eyes, disgusted with the woman. "You don't know when to stop, do you? I don't believe in anything that I cannot see or feel myself. So if you are asking me from a religious context, the answer is no."**

**"That's a shame," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "It makes my job that much harder."**

**Claymore slammed down the receiver.**

**What was that woman's problem? She had started the conversation by practically saying, "I've been stalking you," and then tried to convert him. So much for her being a nice grandmother.**

Everyone laughed at the way he phrased it.

**The phone rang again-Lamia's ID- but Claymore had absolutely no intention of picking it up. He unplugged his phone, and that was the end of that.**

**Tomorrow , perhaps, he'd file a police report. Clearly Ms. Lamia was deranged. Why on earth would she want that boy's address? What did Lamia want with him? Claymore shivered. He felt a strange urge to warn the child.**

"He really should've." Alabaster mumbled to himself. "He wouldn't be in this mess now." He didn't know it but Annabeth heard him, and now she was trying to piece together the information to come up with something-anything.

**But no, this wasn't his problem. He would just let the physchos thin themselves out, I'd that's what they wishes. He wasn't going to step into the crossfire**.

**Especially not tonight. Tonight, he needed to sleep. **

**Claymore knew that curiosity and excitement could twist a person's dreams. But that didn't explain this one.**

**He found himself in a vast room, old and dusty. It looked like a church that hadn't been cleaned in a century. Ther was no light except for a soft green shimmer at the far end of the room. The source of the light was obscured by a boy standing in the aisle directly in front of him. Though Claymore couldn't see clearly, he was sure it was the same kid from the auditorium. What was he doing in Claymore's dream?**

'Uh oh,' Alabaster thought to himself. 'They're about to find out who I am.'

**Claymore was what people called a lucid dreamer, someone who usually knows when they're dreaming and can wake up at will. He could have woken himself now if he'd wanted to, but he decided not to just yet. He was curious.**

**"She's found me again," the boy said. He wasn't addressing Claymore. His back was turned, and he seemed to be talking to the green light. "I don't know if I can fight her off this time. She's closing in on my scent."**

****"Who is he talking to? And who's the boy?" Katie asked. Alabaster suddenly found the hem of his shirt very interesting.

**For a moment there was no answer. Then, finally, a woman spoke from the front of the room. Her tone was stoic and without humor, and something about it sent a shiver up Claymore's spine.**

**"You know I cannot help you, my child," she said. "She is my daughter. I can't raise my hand against either of you."**

**The boy tenses like he was ready to argue, but he stopped himself. "I-I understand, Mother."**

**"Alabaster, you know I love you,"**

"Wait a second!" Clarisse interrupted, "Who are you and what are you doing there?" she said pointing to the paper.

"I think it's about to explain, if I remember correctly." he said still messing with his shirt.

Some people were a bit jealous his mother said "I love you", demigods don't normally get told little things like that.

**the woman said. "But this is a battle you brought upon yourself. You accepted Kronos's blessing. **

"WHAT?!" most of the campers screamed. They tried to get up but found they were stuck where they were. They didn't notice but they're weapons we're gone too.

"You were with Kronos?", Alabaster nodded.

Annabeth remembered the note. "Hey guys remember the note at the beginning? Something about a different path? I think we just found out what thwas path was."

They grumbled and stared at Alabaster hostiley. He kept a calm look on his face.

**You fought with his armies in my name. You can't simply turn to your enemies now and ask forgiveness. They will never help you. I have bargained to keep you safe this far, but I cannot interfere in your fight with her.**

****"Who we're you fighting?" Thalia asked, but she wasignored.

**Claymore frowned. The name Kronos referred to the Titan lord of Greek Mythology, son of the earth and the heavens, but the rest made no sense. Claymore had hopes to gain some insight from this dream, but now it seemed like garbage- more mythology and legends. It was nothing but useless fiction.**

"It's not fiction!" someone said.

"Wait, why is a mortal having a demigod dream?" another asked. No one but Alabaster had an answer, which he didn't share.

**The boy, Alabaster, stepped toward the green light. "Kronos wasn't supposed to lose! You said the odds of winning we're in the Titans' favor! You told me Camp Half-Blood would be destroyed!"**

Alabaster received angry glares.

**When the boy moved, Claymore could finally see the woman he was talking to. She knelt at the end of the aisle, her face raised as if in prayer to a dirty stained glass window above the alter. She was dressed in white robes covered with ornate silver designs, like runes or alchemy symbols. Her dark hair barely came down to her shoulders.**

"So you're a Hecate kI'd too?" Lou Ellen asked Alabaster. He casually said "Yep" and popped the P.

**Despite the grime and dust she was kneeling in, the woman looked spotless. In fact she was the source of the light. The green shimmer** **surrounded her like an aura.**

**She spoke without looking at the boy. "Alabaster, I simply told you the most likely outcome. I didn't promise you that it would occur. I only wanted you to see the options, so you would be prepared for what might lie ahead."**

**"All right," Claymore finally spoke up. "I've had enough. This ridiculous story ends now!"**

Alabaster rolled his eyes. Claymore had been really annoying.

**He expected to snap back awake. But for some reason he didn't.**

**The boy wheeled around and examined him with amazement. "You?" He turned back to the kneeling woman. "Why is he here? Mortals aren't allowed to set foot in te house of a god!"**

"Somebody's mad, aren't they?" Travis teased. Alabaster glared at him. **  
**

**"He's here because I invited him in," the woman said. "You asked for his help, didn't you? I hoped he would be more willing if he understood your-"**

"You invited him? How does that work?"

"I don't know!" Alabaster said annoyed and gestured for Annabeth to continue reading.

**"Enough!" Claymore yelled. "This is absurd! This isnt reality! This is merely a dream, and as its creator I demand to wake up!"**

**The woman didn't look at him, but her voice sounded amused. "Very well, Dr. Claymore. If that is what you wish. I will make it so."**

**Claymore opened his eyes. Sunlight was streaming through his bedroom windows.**

**Odd. . . Usually when he chose to end a dream, he woke up immediately, during the dead of the night. Why was it morning?**

****"Because you had a demigod dream! The Stolls chorused.

Alabaster turned to Annabeth, " Do they do this all the time?"

She sighed, "Sadly, yes." And she continued reading.

**A/N: So another chapter done! I won't be able to update any if mystories for a while because of spring break. So I had a review and it said that it (I'm guessing the story) was reported for MST. I have no clue what that means and the closest thing I found was 'Mountain Standard Time', could someone explain what MST is to me? Thanks for reading!**

**To Trident Lover- Son if Magic is a short story written by Haley Riordan. It's published at the end of The Demigod Diaries. It's about Alabaster and Claymore, some POV from the demigods with Kronos on the Titan War, and why monsters can smell half bloods. **


End file.
